Page 40 of Wolf's Fate

“Well, when he licked your blood, remember?” Seeing me nod, he continued. “The analysis he did with a simple taste, I would need a petri dish, a microscope, and several machines.”

“Bummer.”

Doc grinned widely. “Thank you, you truly appreciate how frustrating that is for me.” He smoothed his palm over his jeans. “I tried to explain that to my friends, and they did not get it at all.”

“I guess their reality is that some doctor can replicate what their shaman can do.”

Doc looked thoughtful. “I don’t think I ever thought of it that way.”

“So, the new reality for me is that I have to accept they can heal themselves, they are ageless, and they are all really big and strong?”

“Yup.”

“And I can see them?”

“Both physically and non-physically.”

“And if I was to guess, the latter freaks them out as much as it freaks me out?”

“Pretty much,” he confirmed.

“And how do we stop it?”

Doc’s look was assessing. “Do you want it stopped?”

“Yes.”

“So quick to answer.”

Puffing my cheeks out, I blew out a breath. “Yes.” I broke eye contact with him. “I can feel his pain,” I admitted softly. “When I draw or paint him, I can feel him. It’s not my place to do that. I hardly know Caleb, and I’m pretty sure he doesn’t even like me.” Doc cleared his throat but said nothing. “Even the guy from the platform, I can feel his frustration from me evading him. And I spent the better part of my journey trying to convince myself that I didn’t, but this is our safe space,” I joked. “We can share here without judgment, right?”

“Of course.”

“Well, I can feel itall,” I admitted, saying it out loud for the first time and accepting it asmyreality. “The emotion, the…weirdnessof knowing that they’re real-life…people?”

“Still people,” Doc confirmed.

“The places I paint, I can feel the difference. I know something, um, what’s the word, otherworldly?” It felt right. “Yeah, otherworldly is happening there. I don’t mean aliens and shit, just, more?—”

“Magic.”

We looked at each other, and I slowly shook my head. “It seems so contradictory for a man of science to say that word so easily.”

“Oh, trust me, it didn’t come easily, not until very recently.”

“What changed?” I asked curiously.

“Cannon’s wife is very persuasive.”

The emphasis onwifepiqued my curiosity. “You didn’t want to saywife? Why?”

“They’re mates,” he told me after a moment of consideration. “It’s a magical pull. They are mated to each other.”

“Like fated?” I thought about it. “That usually has negative connotations in books and things.”

“It’s a good thing,” he assured me. “They share a bond that only Luna can give them.”

I thought about it. “Is this what…”